Five Northern California residents were arrested Thursday after an armed robbery and chase in Beverly Hills.
According to Beverly Hills Police, the robbery happened in the 8600 block of Wilshire Boulevard near La Cienega Boulevard around 4:50 p.m.
Investigators say the five suspects, three men and two teenage boys, approached a victim and held them at gunpoint while demanding their Rolex watch.
A city employee reportedly witnessed the robbery and called police, who responded to the scene. They were able to identify the suspects’ car.
Despite stopping when officers tried to stop them, the driver fled and gave chase.
With the help of a Los Angeles Police Department helicopter crew, ground units tracked the car to Hollywood, where all five suspects jumped from the car and fled on foot near Afton Place and North El Centro Avenue.
“BHPD officers and officers from the LAPD Hollywood Division quickly established a containment,” according to a statement from the Beverly Hills Police Department. “Following the search, all five suspects were arrested and evidence relating to the crime was recovered from the vehicle.”
The suspects have since been identified as Oakland residents Xavier Ford, 18, Gangster Lawson, 23, and Nasir Blocker, 18. Two teens, ages 16 and 17, were not identified due to their ages.
Ford and Lawson were booked on suspicion of assault with a firearm and conspiracy, while Blocked was booked on suspicion of robbery.
